RJD chief Lalu Prasad was arrested here on Monday while demonstrating during the day-long Bihar bandh called to highlight and protest against the central government's failure to make public the caste-based census.

PM Modi’s one day visit is scheduled for the 25th July, and will include his inauguration of IIT Patna campus. launch of 160 ‘raths’, the second part is being worked on, and the third being the actual election campaign

23 JULY: Tough to predict Bihar Assembly Elections with changing alliances - The two main regional parties Janata Dal (United) and Rashtriya Janata Dal, which have contested several elections against each other over the last few decades, have formed an alliance this time. The BJP, which had been a junior partner till the last assembly election, is now leading an alliance of its own, and will be contesting the highest number of seats among all major parties. Ram Vilas Paswan has also changed sides between the two assembly elections, all of which pose challenges for poll predictions.

20 July: Elections under the Constitution can be held anytime six months before the due date. - The Bihar polls will be followed by a round of assembly elections in various states including Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala and Assam. The Commission would be using voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) in 36 of the 243 assembly constituencies but the number could increase. VVPAT is a method of providing feedback to voters using a ballotless voting system. An EVM will have a small attachment to it which after pressing the button for a desired candidate, will print that name on a paper. It will be stored inside the machine and can be used in case of any controversy over the final result.

16 July 2015: Election Commission team in Patna to assess Bihar poll preparations - A high-level Election Commission (EC) team arrived here on a two-day visit and interacted with senior administration officials to take stock of the preparations for the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls.

16 July 2015: Bihar polls: Women cannot be dismissed as a political demographic; outvoted men in 2010-Women as a political demographic have often been dismissed as an appendage of their men, with commonly held wisdom saying that where their men vote, women do too.

15 July 2015:BJP to use 160 GPS-monitored raths ahead of Bihar polls - BJP patriarch LK Advani's Rath Yatra may have been stopped by Lalu Yadav in October 1990 at Samastipur, but this time the BJP is all set to roll out 160 high-tech GPS-monitored raths to spread the message of change.

15 July 2015: Kejriwal to share stage with Nitish ahead of Bihar polls

14 July 2015:Mandal politics makes a comeback before Bihar poll - RJD-JD(U) combo appears to be alert that BJP may play the same card to mobilize OBC votes in the assembly polls.

14 July 2015:Nitish in Delhi, informal talks with Cong on seat sharing -The 'grand alliance' of JD (U), RJD and Congress has to decide sharing 243 seats of Bihar assembly.

14 July 2015:With no word on NDA’s CM candidate, BJP uses Lalu Prasad to target incumbent Nitish Kumar - BJP spokesman Shahnawaz Hussain said Kumar and Prasad have differences but reluctantly joined hands to meet the formidable challenge posed by the NDA.

13 July 2015: Bihar polls: Open to options if NDA offer not respectable: Jitan Ram Manjhi -Manjhi sought a “respectable” offer from the BJP in terms of seat sharing for the upcoming assembly polls he could enter an alliance with rebel RJD MLA Pappu Yadav’s Jan Adhikar Party.

13 July 2015: Muslim candidates' defeat in Bihar dents JD(U)-RJD's image Defeat of three of the four Muslim candidates of the so-called secular alliance in the Bihar legislative council elections, while being a major loss of face for Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and RJD boss Lalu

13 July 2015: JD(U)-RJD to work hard for upcoming Bihar polls: KC Tyagi -After BJP's victory in the recent legislative council election in Bihar, senior leader KC Tyagi said that the JD(U)-RJD alliance will have Assembly polls in the state.

13 July 2015: Bihar Elections are Also a Battle of Political Symbolisms -In Bihar, where Nitish symbolizes development, Lalu Yadav is known for effective communication in native language and style with the masses.Language, symbols, phrases and slogans always have been playing vital role in Indian politics. Before the 1990s, poverty and struggle against poverty have been the most important and effective symbols of Indian polity. Slogans like “elimination of poverty” consequentially emerged from this. In the ‘90s “social justice” emerged as a very effective political symbol.

13 July 2015: Lalu Prasad to pen book on Mandal movement "I have decided to write a book on the movement to ensure social justice in the country," Lalu said at a function here at the RJD office here while pointing out that 'Mandal politics' had a long history.

12 July 2015:JD-U legislator arrested in Bihar, sent to jail - Sunil Pandey, a legislator of JD(U),

11 July 2015: Jailed gangster Ritlal Yadav wins Bihar election against JD-U and BJP rivals - Ritlal Yadav, who was appointed general secretary of the RJD during the Lok Sabha polls last year, won as an independent

10 July 2015: Bihar polls: All 15 sitting MLAs who rebelled against JD(U) should get tickets, Jitan Ram Manjhi

10 July 2015: JD-U, BJP win two seats each in legislative council polls

Patna, (IANS) Bihar's ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and the opposition BJP have won two seats each on Friday as counting of votes cast for the biennial elections to 24 legislative council seats was underway, officials said. Read More..>>

7 July 2015: Pappu Yadav to join NDA - launched his own political party,Jan Kranti Adhikar Party to join the NDA

7 July 2015:NRIs to vote in Bihar Elections

Bihar elections are approaching and it could turn out to be a turning point in the election history of India. If reports are to be believed, Election Commission of India is working out on making NRIs cast their votes in Bihar Elections.Voting’s would take place semi-electronically.

6 July 2015: Much at stake for NDA, Janata Pariwar in Legislative Council poll for Gaya seat There is much at stake for both the NDA and extended Janata Pariwar (Congress included) in the Bihar Legislative Council poll for the Gaya local body seat to be held on Tuesday.

6 July 2015: RJD to protest withholding caste Census data: Lalu- "Centre should make the caste census public instead of withholding the data on numerical strength of different castes," Lalu Prasad said while addressing his party workers here to celebrate 19th anniversary of the RJD.

6 July 2015: Bihar elections: RJD chief Lalu Prasad's son Tej Pratap declares himself a candidate Though Lalu prefer to skip making any comment on his son's announcement, the message from the RJD is loud and clear that Tej Pratap would be Congress and JD-U backed RJD candidate from Mahua constituency in Vaishali district.

6 July 2015: Seat sharing to be a tough task for both alliances in Bihar Battle lines may have been drawn in Bihar, but seat sharing in the rival alliances led by BJP and JD(U) for the upcoming crucial assembly election is likely to be quite a challenge with the constituents all set to strike a hard bargain.

3 July 2015: Bihar polls: JD(U) launches campaign song The song was made public by state JD(U) president Vashistha Narayan Singh amid much fanfare simultaneously with the launch of 'Har ghar dastak' campaign of the party.

Including 50% reservation to scheduled castes/tribes, backward and economically backward castes and backward caste women in all government contracts up to Rs15 lakh. Cabinet secretariat department's principal secretary Shishir Sinha said people belonging to SCs would get 16%, STs 1%, EBCs 18%, BCs 12% and BC women 3% in the 50% quota in contracts.

1 July 2015: Shahid Afridi to campaign for JD(U) as “young Sharad Yadav” for garnering votes from the elderly

29-Jun-15: Bihar polls: Gunning for the lotus eaters

The BJP's game plan in Bihar is simple: put the spotlight on contradictions in the Nitish Kumar-Lalu Prasad alliance and keep voters from each camp guessing

29-Jun-15:BJP to fight Bihar polls on ‘good governance, development’ Upcoming election in Bihar will not be contested in the name of cast or religion. BJP will win the elections on the basis of good governance and development, he told reporters.

29-Jun-15: JVM not to contest Bihar polls, but will support Nitish

Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) president Babulal Marandi today said his party will not contest the Assembly polls in Bihar, due later this year, but shall support Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

29-Jun-15: CPI national council to discuss Bihar polls

27-Jun-15: Nitish, Lalu have no moral right to claim JP legacy: BJP PATNA: The BJP on Friday said CM Nitish Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Prasad has "no moral right" to claim their association with Jayaprakash Narayan (JP) because they have forged poll alliance with the Congress.

27-Jun-15: 'Rule of law' will prevail till I am Chief Minister: Nitish Kumar"Law is functioning on its own ... my government will neither shield any law-breaker nor implicate anybody in any false case," Kumar told reporters after a meeting of the state cabinet."The government does not work under anybody's pressure. Law is equal for everybody," Kumar said.

26-Jun-15: HAM chief Manjhi vows to work for poor

“My aim is clear, I don’t want to get indulged into the caste-based politics. Me and my party will work for the upliftment of the poor masses nationally.”

26-Jun-15: NDA fields Ranjit “Don” in Legislative Council polls

Ranjit Singh alias Ranjit Don is contesting the Council election as a Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) candidate from the Bihar Sharif seat in Nalanda. His nomination has become the talk of the town as he is alleged to be the kingpin of all big examination paper leaks, including CAT, AIIMS and CBSE medical entrance tests.

26-Jun-15: Minority Welfare Schemes of the Bihar Govt.

To get the politically and socially favor of these minority groups, Bihar government has announced various minority welfare schemes. In India, Bihar is the first state to have an independent minority welfare directorate, which is under the home department.

25-Jun-15: Cabinet nod for JP memorial in Bihar - The government on Wednesday decided to set up a national memorial at the birthplace of social activist Jai Prakash Narayan at his birthplace in Bihar.

25-Jun-15: Photo Ballot Paper in Bihar Polls First - For the first time in Independent India, photo ballot paper will be used in an election.The use of photo ballot paper is expected to minimise the confusion that could arise in the minds of the electors when candidates with same or similar names contest from the same constituency at the time of voting.

25-Jun-15: Congress sceptical of Lalu accepting Nitish's primacy

25-Jun-15: Bihar: BJP’s Mission 185 under threat as allies fight over seat sharing - RLSP suggested BJP should contest on 102 seat, 74 seats for LJP whereas the remaining 67 seats should go to his party. He even suggested that all the three partners should spare seats in a proportionate way in case Jitan Ram Manjhi becomes parts of the NDA.

25-Jun-15: Lalu Prasad to bank on ‘tamtam’ for election campaign

RJD President Lalu Prasad has decided his party will bank on ‘tamtam’ (tonga, or light horse-drawn carriage) to counter its main rival BJP in the coming Bihar Assembly elections. ”The showy BJP will move in big vehicles on four-lane highways. We will movie on ‘tamtam’ on civil lane. These tamtams will carry our message to every village in the state and help throw down BJP on the ground,” Prasad said.

With his party pitching him as NDA's chief ministerial candidate in Bihar, RLSP chief and Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha today said delay by BJP in deciding on the issue was "harming" the alliance as RJD-JD(U) combine has kicked off campaign under Nitish Kumar.

24-Jun-15: The Chief Ministerial Dilemma of the BJP Bihar Unit

Posturing, lobbying or eventually infighting for the Chief Ministerial position within the BJP preceding the Fall Assembly election (2015) in Bihar does not bode well for the party.

23-Jun-15: Govt will go all out to support Bihar in a big way: Jaitley- Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Tuesday said the government is likely to announce projects and schemes in a few weeks time to assist the resource-rich state.

23-Jun-15: BJP's C P Thakur ready to be Bihar CM candidate

In a move likely to put the BJP in a dilemma, senior party leader and former union minister C P Thakur on Monday said he was ready to be chief ministerial candidate in the run-up to the Bihar assembly elections. "I am ready to take the responsibility of the chief minister's post if the BJP projects me," the BJP's Rajya Sabha member said. Read More...>>

"BJP is leading the NDA ends in Bihar. We will go to elections without declaring our chief ministerial candidate. After the elections are over, the party will decide who it should be nominated. So any declarations now or any announcements have no validity from the NDA front," said BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao.

Targeted by JD(U)-RJD alliance for not having declared its chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Bihar polls so far, Lok Janshankti Party today said the NDA has "better and more capable election faces" than Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad.

"We have already made it clear that we are not contesting the Bihar polls, but we will certainly campaign against the BJP and tell people how the Narendra Modi government is not allowing us to work and creating impediments in the functioning of the Delhi government," said a senior AAP leader.

In June,PM Modi paid his first visit to a country with a Muslim majority; back in India, he met a delegation of 30 Muslim “leaders”, interacted with envoys from Muslim countries, and in another first, tweeted in Urdu on Thursday to greet the community for Ramzan. All these in 18 days.Joining the dots, particularly his adoption of Muslim sartorial styles, sceptics see an effort to build bridges with the community before the crucial Assembly elections in Bihar this year and in the spring of 2016 when Assam, West Bengal and Kerala go to the polls. All four States have a sizeable Muslim population: Bihar (16.5 per cent), West Bengal (25.2), Kerala (24.7) and Assam (30.9).

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said he agreed with senior BJP leader L.K. Advani who expressed fear over return of Emergency in the country by saying that "forces that can crush democracy have become stronger".

"We will go to Patna, and all other poll-bound states and scale up the agitation," he said. Singh said reports that the government was planning to implement OROP ahead of Bihar elections made one wonder if it was aimed at getting votes.

18-June-15: I will join active politics again: Lalu Prasad

18-June-15: Sadhu Yadav floats party for clean governance

Latest to jump on the poll bandwagon is former Lok Sabha MP Sadhu Yadav, better known as the estranged brother-in-law of Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad.

17-June-15: No CM candidate in Bihar: Ananth Kumar

17-June-15: Manjhi to contest Bihar assembly polls, says party"Manjhi will contest upcoming assembly polls. The party will decide about his seat," HAM's state president Shakuni Choudhary announced here.

17-June-15:NRIs to be allowed to Vote for first time in Bihar Polls : Election Commission

16-June-15: We are all prepared for the Bihar elections: Dharmendra Pradhan - The Bihar is all set to hold elections and political parties are busy wooing the voters, where the BJP is confident to make its mark in the upcoming election.

16-June-15: Narendra Modi to be BJP's face in Bihar polls - BJP will fight upcoming Assembly Elections in Bihar in the name of PM Narendra Modi, Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Anant Kumar announced .

15-June-15: BJP banking on Yadavs and dalits in Bihar battle - BJP has finalised a strategy to bank on the Yadav and Dalit votes in Bihar to derail Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s applecart of winning the upcoming Assembly elections in October on the strength of Yadavs, Muslims and Kurmis, who collectively constitute 35 per cent of population.

14-June-15: Amit Shah, Paswan hold discussions on Bihar polls- Sources said the LJP is keen to fight on 50 seats out the total 243 while the BJP is willing to give 35-40 seats, but Paswan, in response to a query, no fight over seat sharing.

14-June-15: BJP gets ready to take on Nitish-Lalu alliance in Bihar

14-June-15: Shatrughan for a BJP face in Bihar polls

13-June-15: Manjhi announces to fight Bihar Assembly poll with NDA.Mr Manjhi was demanding 50 seats where as the BJP wanted to accommodate him with 25 to 30 seats.

10-Jun-15: Lalu dares BJP to declare CM candidate in poll-bound Bihar- "We have declared Nitish Kumar as CM nominee of grand alliance, ask BJP whether it has nerve to announce its CM candidate," he said. "If BJP has guts, it should tell people who is its CM candidate,"

30-May-15: BJP not to Announce CM Candidate's Name until after Elections

Central Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Minister Kalraj Mishra, at a press conference in Patna on Friday, said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was in no hurry to name the party's Chief Ministerial candidate.

28-May-15: CM Nitish Kumar brings back Jitan Ram Manjhi's sops in Bihar - Decision will put burden of Rs 375 crore every year on the state exchequer which will benefit more than 60,000 policemen.

27-May-15: Gadkari announces Rs.50,000 crore for Bihar roads - Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday announced the provision of Rs.50,000 crore for development of roads in Bihar.

26-May-15: Doors open for new allies, Bihar polls very important: BJP President Amit Shah -

25-May-15: Election Commission wants electoral rolls to be error free: CEC - Seeking to check multiple entries in electoral rolls and to make them error-free, the Election Commission has embarked on an ambitious project to link Aadhar numbers with voters' electoral

19-May-15: LJP stakes claim to 6 council seats - The elections to 24 legislative council seats from the local bodies are expected in July. "The state LJP chief would have meeting with the BJP on the matter after two days. The final picture would be clear thereafter," Paswan said.

19-May-15: Expelled RJD MP Pappu Yadav floats new party - Lok Sabha member Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, who was expelled by the RJD for six years for anti-party activities, on Sunday launched a new political outfit -- Jan Kranti Adhikar Morcha.

18-May-15: Bihar Assembly elections will be held sometime in September-October, 2015: CEC

1-May-15 Today Bengal, tomorrow Bihar? PM Modi's electoral hopes have dimmed within a yearDelhi is gone, West Bengal is going. Bihar looks uncertain, Punjab could be next.Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s juggernaut has come to a halt, Amit Shah’s invincible army is staring at a year of tough battles and, perhaps, a few humiliating losses. The ground beneath BJP has started moving. Read More...>>

21-Apr-15 - JMM will contest Bihar assembly election: Hemant Soren - JMM would contest the assembly election in Bihar. Not yet finalised how many seats but certainly will contest.Last time won one seat in assembly poll. We will mostly field candidates in the districts adjoining Jharkhand such as Jamui.